The real life of Norwegian immigrants

From lifestyle to medical care, Scandinavians seem to put happiness first, so Nordic countries have always been rated as the happiest countries and one of the most livable places in the world. Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland have all ranked in the top ten in the past five world happiness reports.

If you have always wanted to experience life in northern Europe, you are lucky-although we can easily go to another country or place nowadays, nothing is as simple as Svalbard. It is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, and people from anywhere can live here permanently without a visa.

Because of the Svalbard Treaty, foreigners do not need visas or any form of permission to live and work in Svalbard. Its capital, Longyearbyen, is home to about 2,000 people from more than 50 countries and is the northernmost town in the world.

(Svalbard Treaty:1920 February 9, 18 Countries including Britain, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan signed the Svalbard Administrative Status Treaty in Paris. 1925, China, the Soviet Union, Germany, Finland, Spain and other 33 countries also joined the Treaty and became allies of the Svalbard Treaty. The treaty made Svalbard the first and only demilitarized zone in the Arctic. The treaty recognizes that Norway "has complete sovereignty" and that the region "can never be used for war purposes". However, citizens of each contracting state can enter the country independently and engage in legitimate production and commercial activities within the scope of observing Norwegian laws. In other words, as citizens of the State party, China people have every right to enter Svalbard. )

Let's see what life is like in Svalbard.

Welcome to Svalbard, which is the easiest place to immigrate in the world after the epidemic.

Svalbard is 0/273 miles from Oslo/Kloc, the capital of Norway. This archipelago lies between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole.

Svalbard was discovered by Dutch William Barents in 1596. He named it Spitsbergen, which means "sharp mountain range" in Dutch.

Svalbard is the northernmost place, and many records are here, including the northernmost airports, schools, universities, hospitals, hotels, churches, breweries and even gas stations in the world.

Svalbard gas station, the sign says "the northernmost gas station in the world"

Svalbard has a population of about 2,500, and Longyearbyen (actually a small town), the capital, is located in the snowy mountains of Svalbard. Of course, it is the northernmost town in the world.

The snow-capped mountains, glaciers and deep fjords in Svalbard constitute an amazing prospect.

Svalbard is not very warm, even in summer, the temperature will not be higher than 6 degrees. According to Svalbard Travel Network, there are only three seasons in Svalbard: "polar summer, northern lights winter and sunny winter."

The population on the island is too small, and there are more polar bears than humans. According to Svalbard Tourism Bureau, there are about 3,000 polar bears living on the island.

Warning signal of polar bear

Because of the existence of polar bears, local residents usually carry guns with them. Svalbard wrote on its website: "This is one of the few places in the world where mothers push strollers with rifles on their backs."

Polar bear hunting, whaling and other hunting were big businesses in Svalbard in history, but there are various nature reserves and national parks in this area now. According to the Norwegian Tourism Board, nearly two-thirds of the islands are protected.

Norway recognizes Svalbard's own laws, regulates hunting, fishing and housing, and is responsible for its infrastructure. In recent years, Svalbard has been hoping for more tourists and newcomers to explore the amazing rugged landscape of the region.

But its climate is a disappointing place for many people who want to become Svalbard. The temperature here will not be higher than 6 degrees in summer and 20 degrees below zero in winter.

Svalbard is very cold in winter.

Four months of the year are almost completely dark here, and the other four months are completely bright. The dark season is no joke. If the power is turned off, you can't actually see the hand in front of you.

Northern lights over Longyearbyen

Life in the Valba Islands is calm, the locals are friendly and laid-back, and everything is within walking distance. There is no traffic jam here. If there is, it's because ducks or reindeer are in the way.

Residents of the Valba Islands spend their spare time in sports, snowmobiles, dog sledding and skiing. But because of the small scale, it will be annoying to see the same group of people all the time.

The crime rate in Svalbard is very low. There is only one sheriff, and most people rarely lock their doors. Crime may get you "kicked off the island".

Longyearbyen is the largest settlement on the island, with nearly 2,000 residents. Although there are other settlements, there are almost no roads between them, and most parts of Svalbard are wilderness.

Colored houses in Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen has shops, museums, art galleries, bars, restaurants, libraries and cinemas.

It also hosts various festivals and activities, from Oktoberfest to pride parade.

20 19 August 15, LGBT Parade in Longyearbyen.

Longyearbyen has arranged many cultural activities for local people, so even if it is dark for 24 hours in winter, people still have a lot to do. Such a small town has everything in the most northern city in the world.

Two people celebrate the midsummer festival by playing musical instruments at the sailing club party.

It was not until the treaty of 1920 that these islands had a government. Although it recognizes Norway's sovereignty, it also stipulates that anyone can live and work there without a visa.

The official website of Svalbard says that to move there, it is not a visa that needs to be considered, but "you must have the means and ability to live in Svalbard."

According to the regulations of the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Governor Svalbard can "refuse or expel those who lack sufficient ability to stay there or can't take care of themselves adequately". The Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security suggested that people planning to move to Svalbard should "find jobs and housing before they arrive".

This is because employment is limited and housing is limited. Housing can be very expensive and difficult to find, because most houses are owned by employers and provided to employees.

Barenburg, a smaller settlement in Svalbard.

You may not think that there are about 200 Thai residents here, which is the second largest ethnic group in Svalbard, second only to the Norwegians. Longyearbyen even has a Thai restaurant and a Thai supermarket.

However, Svalbard has no facilities to take care of seriously ill or pregnant women, so women must go to the mainland to give birth three weeks before the expected date of delivery.

Sykehus Hospital in Longyearbyen is mainly used to treat the wounded.

Due to the melting of permafrost, burial of dead bodies has been prohibited in Svalbard since 1950s: if the burial is not deep enough, well-preserved dead bodies may be exposed to the surface after the melting of permafrost. So the deceased will be transported to Norway. In other words: you can't be born or buried in Svalbard.

Abandoned cemetery in Svalbard

Svalbard is home to the "Global Seed Bank", also known as "Doomsday Bank" and "Noah's Ark of Plant Diversity". This vault is closed to the public.

Hidden in the mountains about 400 feet deep, it stores the seeds of all known crops on the earth in case of natural and man-made disasters.

It is buried deep in permafrost, designed to resist anything from asteroids to nuclear bombs. It is buried deep in permafrost, and even if there is power failure, permafrost can remain frozen for at least 200 years.

Generally speaking, things in Svalbard are very expensive, because it is remote, but because it is a tax-free zone, the income tax is lower than that in Norway, so the price is similar to that in Norway (although Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world).

If all this sounds attractive, you can move to Svalbard once the travel restrictions are lifted.

The official website in Svalbard wrote: "Svalbard once, Svalbard forever."

On March 22nd, KV Svalbard team, composed of Norwegian navy soldiers and scientists from Norwegian Institute of Oceanography, played football in the Arctic waters near Greenland. They are protected by armed guards to avoid polar bears.